The actor responded to a 'Rolling Stone' investigation detailing the reason behind his departure from the Apple TV+ series.
F. Murray Abraham has issued an apology following a Rolling Stone report alleging that the White Lotus actor was let go from the Apple TV+ series, Mythic Quest, as the result of two sexual misconduct complaints made against him.
"This is a sincere and deeply felt apology," the 83-year-old actor said in a statement to ET. "Though never my intention to offend anyone, I told jokes, nothing more, that upset some of my colleagues and as a result lost a great job with wonderful people."
He added, "I have grown in my understanding from this experience, and I hope they will forgive me."
According to Rolling Stone, "at least two concerns were raised about Abraham’s behavior. The first incident resulted in Abraham being given a warning and told to keep away from some of the show’s actresses, according to a production source."
The magazine also reported that after Mythic Quest creator and star Rob McElhenney learned of a second claim, "Abraham was let go from the show."
Abraham's exit was first announced in April 2022, ahead of the season 3 premiere in November. At the time, a spokesperson for Lionsgate, which produces the series, told Vanity Fair, "F. Murray Abraham will not be returning to season 3 of Mythic Quest. Beyond that, we do not comment on matters concerning personnel."
After Rolling Stone's report of the sexual misconduct allegations, ET reached out to Lionsgate. In response, a spokesperson said, "We take allegations of misconduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly. As a matter of corporate policy, we do not discuss personnel actions."
While Abraham did not return for the third season of Mythic Quest, he did join season 2 of The White Lotus. His casting as part of the new ensemble in creator Mike White's satirical anthology series was confirmed by HBO in January 2022 before production started the following month, with the entire cast filming on location in Sicily.
Since the second season's debut in October, Abraham has earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for his turn as a philandering grandfather on vacation with his son and grandson, played by Michael Imperioli and Adam DiMarco, respectively.
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